Secrets and Connections
by daydreamer1928
Summary: Misaki Ayuzawa is trying to live a normal life while hiding a secret. On top of that she transfers to a new school and falls in love with the most popular guy of Seika high. What's the secret? What is Misa-Chan trying to hide? Please go easy on me this is my first fanfic ….
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone! So I just wanna say two things . First,that I am new here and second, that this is my first fanfic. Although the first chapter might not be that interesting but I have tried to present it in the best way...

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Misaki gazed out of the window of the bus and sighed. Feelings of fear and anxiety occupied her mind. Although the girls in front of her seat were chatting and laughing she couldn't hear them.

-_So, finally this day has come._ _We are riding towards our destination. But why am I feeling so scared? Hmm…maybe because I've never sung in front of such a large audience. Gosh! This fear is gripping me. I need to get a hold of myself. I need to be strong! Why is everyone so silent at the back?_

Misaki returned from her thoughts to the real world. She stood from her seat, turned at the back and saw that everyone was sitting as silent as the dead. Akira was practicing her guitar; Yumiko was sitting with her eyes closed; Karen was just staring at her drumsticks with a blank look and Shihoko was practicing her bass guitar. All of them were looking tensed and no one was speaking.

Misaki asked them, "Are you all scared?"

All of them looked up at her.

"Of course we are scared", Akira answered. Keeping her guitar aside she continued, "Misaki, we are competing in the biggest, the toughest music championship. People from so many schools of Tokyo will be there. Who knows how far we will go?"

Misaki sighed. She couldn't believe the girl who was never afraid of anything, always encouraging people was saying this. Akira's eyes showed fear.

"Yeah… maybe we won't even clear the first round." Yumiko said.

Misaki jumped out of her seat.

"Are you guys serious? I am sure no one has practiced as hard as we did! We will definitely win this!" Misaki said with a strange enthusiasm.

_-Please girls! Don't speak things like that, don't lose your confidence. Ahh…you're making me nervous. Please!_

To distract everyone from their thoughts, Misaki picked up her guitar and started singing. Soon afterwards, everyone joined her including the teachers and the volunteers accompanying them. Misaki did everything to lighten the mood. She cracked jokes, played games and sang songs and everyone forgot their tension. Later, everyone felt a bit relieved and relaxed.

They soon reached their destination, Hiromasa Hotel. Everyone took their instruments and few essential things for the competition they had brought with them. The hotel was not very large or grand, but it was a busy place.

"Okay girls! You just have one hour to freshen up and get ready. We have booked two rooms. You can choose yourself which one you want. Then we'll be going to the auditorium for the registration and other work."

Everyone chose their rooms and got ready. The teachers then took them to the auditorium where they were to perform and everyone's jaw dropped at the sight of it. There were posters of the championship everywhere. Hundreds of people were running here and there. Some were going inside the auditorium and some were coming outside. A lot of noise and commotion filled the area and the speaker was repeatedly making some announcements. They entered the gates, showed their registrations and collected their Identity cards.

_-So this is it, there is no turning back now. We have to give it our best. We have to win for the sake of our school!_

A little later the speaker shouted an announcement- "ALL THE PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS, PLEASE MOVE IN THE AUDITORIUM FOR THE STARTER SHOW".

"Let's move in" Yumiko said.

They all checked their IDs and registration forms, entered the auditorium and took their seats.

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So how was it ? I know most of you might be thinking that where is Takumi. But I ensure that I will add him in the coming chapters. Believe me, it will get interesting after this one !


	2. The picture

Finally the second chapter ! This was the most difficult piece of work I have ever written ! I hope I did not delay it. If anyone feels like this then I would like to apologise. Now... I have nothing else to say enjoy. (damn! my hands are paining after typing this)

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CHAPTER 2

The place was filled with darkness. No one was able to see but somehow, stomping and pressing on each other's feet they managed to find seats. The voices of people starting to enter the room could be heard. The clamor felt like they were in a fish market. But soon everyone settled and the noise quieted. Misaki turned around and guessed that there were more people participating than she had thought.

_-Okay this is quiet unexpected. So many people! I just hope most of them are volunteers and people helping in organizing this competition. _

"I think nobody knows what's going on" Akira said,

"Yeah"

Suddenly the stage was showered with yellow and orange lights. People started whispering and soon a man climbed the stage. Bringing his face closer to the mike he started speaking

"Good evening to you all! I am Ryuu and I'll be your host for the evening. Today's show is just for all of you to have fun and to enjoy. So without wasting any time let us begin!"

Loud cheers and applauses filled the auditorium and the show started. There was music, fun and dance; everything for people to enjoy.

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After two hours, the show ended and people started clearing the place. Everyone could be heard laughing and shouting. The mood was very lively and cheerful.

"That was so good!" Shihoko exclaimed.

It was evening then. The sun was about to set. And surely the place looked beautiful, decorated with lights and lanterns.

"Well they have surely worked hard on the decoration huh?" Akira Smiled.

Yumiko took out her camera and shouted, "Picture time!"

They clicked a lot of pictures and had a lot of fun. Afterwards they returned to their hotel.

* * *

By the time they reached the hotel it was already dark. They freshened up and sat in their room.

"Hey let's see the pics we had clicked" Yumiko suggested, she again took her and camera and everyone crowded around her. A lot of 'I don't look good in this one's could be heard. Although it was late in the night but none of them wanted to sleep.

"Wait that … show me that pic before this one" Karen said.

She showed her the pic. It was clicked near a tree and lights on a branch nearby were blurring Misaki and Akira's face.

"What's so special in this pic?" Misaki asked.

"Look, that guy in the background, he is looking so cool!" Karen exclaimed.

They all looked carefully. A guy was standing behind them in the pic, leaning against the tree. In the whole picture, only that guy could be clearly seen.

"Hmm… but his face is not visible" Akira said.

"But he has such a lean and strong body. See, it's even visible in the picture! He has the perfect body!"

"Isn't this the Seika High School uniform?"

"I don't know. There are so many schools with a similar dress, it could be any school."

Misaki was watching them argue and she looked at her watch. It was 1:30 in the morning now. She suddenly interrupted.

"Okay, so we are fighting over an unknown guy at 1:30 in the morning, you know? I suggest we should stop here for now. And you guys can continue your talks and gossips in the morning that is when we get up late for the event!" She suddenly started shouting.

Shihoko said," She's right. Tomorrow is a big day for us. Let's get some sleep so we do not snooze between our performances."

Everyone laughed and went to their beds. Soon, they all were asleep.

* * *

"I told you we will be late!"

Misaki was shouting since they had woke up. They stood up late last night and as a result it was chaos in the morning. They all woke up late leaving very little time for them to get ready. Misaki was being restless since the morning. It felt like she would burst out of anger and frustration.

_Damn! These people! Always making us late, creating troubles. Even on such an important day they can't wake on time! Still trying to doze off like sloths!_

"Karen! We can't sleep now! Akira! You dare close your eyes!"

"Yeah" They both replied together in unison.

"YOU GUYS! HOW CAN YOU SLEEP AT A TIME LIKE THIS?! EVERYONE! GET READY IN 10 MIN OR I SWEAR I'LL…"

"Yeah…" They all replied unanimously.

Her screaming and yelling had no effect on them. They knew it was… normal. It used to happen every day and they all were used to it. They all knew the "angry young women" form of Misaki. It was her nature.

After half an hour of confusion, shouting, racket and screaming, they were ready to face the stage.

They soon reached the auditorium and luckily, reached on time. A volunteer of seventeen-eighteen years of age was standing at the gate and welcomed them.

"Get in quick! The competition will start soon." He said.

They entered the place, took their seats and waited. And the anxiety and fear gripped them again. Everyone was watching each other's costumes and instruments. They felt that no one except them was feeling scared. Everyone around them were laughing and chatting away. The teachers were gone with the school volunteers for some registration work. This went on for an hour.

_-What's happening?! Everyone is looking so ready. Aahh… I don't want to this. But I have to. I have to do it for the sake the my school, for the sake of the people who care about us, for the sake of those people who worked so hard and helped us to reach here. I can't turn back now. I won't disappoint them. I will do this even if I get scared. I have trained for this my whole life. I will do this!_

While she was lost in her world the host had already climbed the stage and was introducing the judges.

"FINALLY THE DAY HAS COME! WELCOME TO THE FIRST TOKYO MUSIC YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP!"

There was a loud cheer and applause. The excited and tensed atmosphere could be felt by all.

The host continued to speak. He introduced the five judges and also mentioned the rules. There would be seven rounds and after each round two or one team would get eliminated according to the judges' marks. The last two rounds will be disclosed after the first five rounds are done. They will be the bombshell rounds.

The first round was a performance by the band members. The team had to sing one song of their choice.

"Here we'll be performing ninth. So I guess we have a lot of time" one of the volunteer of their school said.

They took their seats and watched the performances. No doubt, the competition was very strong and very tough. Each school had worked hard and it showed in their performances. Finally their turn came.

One of the organization committee members asked them to follow him. He took them to the backstage and told them to prepare their guitars and drums and get ready. They tuned their guitars, went through their song one more time and encouraged themselves.

"Okay guys this is it, it's our turn to show them what we are, what we can do and what we are made of. We are doing it for our school, for ourselves and for our friends who came here with us to cheer us." Misaki said to them. Everyone agreed and nodded their heads together.

"Let's just go out there a-and give it our best! Let's do it!"

Yumiko interrupted, "but before this… group hug!"

Everyone smiled and hugged each other. Then they took their instruments and waited for the previous team to leave the stage.

_-Okay, I can do this. I have trained for this my whole life. Today, the result will show for my practice. I'll do my best._

Misaki closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"AND NOW WE HAVE TEAM NO.9 PERFORMING!" The host announced.

He exited and the girls took the stage.

* * *

So ? How was it ? I know it was a bit boring I guess. Actually my mind is not working these days. But anyways I tried my best and I hope you will like it. Don't forget to review and just tell me if I can improve on anything. I would love to know from you guys. Cheers !


	3. Chances and Challenges

**Hello People! So finally here is chapter 3. And thanks alot for your kind and motivating reviews. Although I have an important test tomorrow **

** but I just couldn't control myself from uploading this. Enjoy!**

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CHAPTER 3

The mike was in front of her, the guitar was in her hands. All she needed was to sing with her melodious voice. But seeing so many people, whispering and staring at her… the only thing she was able to hear was her heart which was beating louder than ever.

_-No! Don't think! Just sing it out! JUST SING! _

With this thought, she took a deep breath and shouted "And 1! 2! 3! 4!"

The sound of their drums filled the place. Soon they started playing the guitars. They had chosen a catchy and lively song. Misaki started singing and her voice had its effect. The crowd started cheering, hooting and shouting. Misaki felt the enthusiasm of the crowd and felt more confident. She was scared that they might not like the song. But now she was confident that they had chosen the right song.

All of them felt more confident and played with their full energy. Then, everything became louder- the cheers, the noise and the hooting. Finally their song ended and the crowd again gave them a big and a loud round of applause. It seemed that their first performance went very well. Misaki smiled and looked at her friends. They all were looking satisfied and happy.

_-We finally did it! The crowd here is really amazing. I knew we had chosen the right song._

The host climbed on stage and started speaking, "What an amazing performance it was! Well people, the competition is going to get really tough with such strong contenders, right?" The crowd just kept shouting and cheering. The host turned around and said to Misaki, "You guys performed very well. Please take your seats."

They all obeyed him and exited the stage. All of them went to the backstage and started screaming.

"We did it! Aaaaaahh... I can't believe it! This is just too good!" Yumiko shrieked. Slowly, they started walking towards the stairs that led to the seating area. They were walking slowly while talking and chatting. Instead of facing the stairs, Misaki was facing her friends. They walked down the stairs when suddenly her foot slipped. Everything was moving in slow motion for her. She was about to fall. She closed her eyes and screamed.

"Shhh..." Someone whispered in her ear. She felt a warm breath over her cheeks and a strong grip on her wrist. Someone had caught her before she could fall. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Two bright green orbs were staring her and she could feel the breath on her face. Misaki could not help staring in those deep and mysterious eyes. She couldn't help but stare at the face that was smiling at her, at those lips that were so close to hers, telling her to calm down. The only sound she was able to hear was her heartbeat.

She regained her balance. But that didn't stop her from staring at her handsome savior. It was impossible for a human to be so... graceful, so majestic. She heard Akira whispering, "Isn't that the guy from the picture?"

Karen replied softly "Yeah. It is the same guy."

Misaki came back to her senses and saw that one of his hands was still holding her waist to prevent her from falling. She gently pushed back the hand while looking down at her feet. She felt unusual. His hands were so warm that she didn't want to let go. Misaki knew that she was blushing. She kept gazing her feet thinking of words to say. She looked up and saw that his eyes were staring her again.

"You should walk carefully on stairs." He smirked.

"Y-yeah" She mumbled.

A loud voice came from behind, "Usui you coming? We are next."

"Yeah"

Saying this Usui continued walking and reached the backstage. The girls took their seats and began chatting away in whisper.

"Well... that guy looks much cooler in real life than in pictures" Akira said.

"And his reflexes are so quick and he is so strong. How quickly he caught Misaki!" Yumiko exclaimed.

Usui's band reached the stage and their performance started. He was the lead singer and a guitarist too. There was lots of cheering, hooting and clapping from the crowds. Everyone was cheering them except Misaki. She was sitting in her seat deep in thought.

_-What had happened to me at that time? I just don't get it. I am not the weakened-so-easily types! What was all that? That guy, who is he? His eyes were so deep, so hypnotizing. Wait, why am I thinking about him again and again? I am a true jerk. I need to concentrate on the competition. And that guy was just playing. After all, they all are the same. I know that he saved me, and I am very thankful for it. But did he have to do all that smirking and playing? _

Her thoughts were interrupted by very loud cheers and applauses. She looked up and saw that Usui's performance was over. The crowd was cheering them like they had cheered for the girls. But Usui was not affected by it. His face was blank and unreadable.

Misaki felt a tinge of jealousy inside.

_-Hmm... This guy, he is good. But I will show him that we're better. I will beat this guy!_

"WHAT A MARVELOUS PERFORMANCE BY TEAM NO.10! My god! We sure have a tough competition!" The host said climbing the stage. People showed their agreement by hooting and cheering them.

His team reached the seating area where a lot of girls were waiting for them squealing in excitement. But as soon as Usui reached there, more and more people started crowding around them. No sooner, more than half of the auditorium got empty as people started gathering around his team, wanting to congratulate them on their performance. The screaming and squealing felt like a movie star had walked in. It was chaos. But Misaki was not affected at all. She stood at her place, muttering to herself.

"Seriously? They were not that good."

"I don't think so."

Someone whispered in her ear. She turned around quickly and saw two bright green eyes staring at her. It was Usui.

_-Damn! You again? What's your problem? Okay, Misaki, Just calm down. Try not to get heated up. Just ask him politely._

Misaki stared him for few minutes, and then suddenly asked, "You want anything? If it's about earlier than I would like to thank you for saving me and I am sorry for not saying it before."

He replied in a very casual manner, "its fine."

"Then what do you want?"

_-Don't look into his eyes! Don't fall for him so easily! Damn! This guy is ridiculous! I have only talked to him for a minute and I feel so strange! Aaaaahh..._

Entangled between fascination and hatred, she felt strange. She didn't know how to react, what to say. But in the end hatred got better of her.

"You wanna say something?" She tried to be as polite as possible but was losing her patience. Usui leaned towards and her, stared and suddenly said, "I feel our performance was quite spectacular. Seeing people and the judges' reaction, I think we might win this. "

_-That's it._

And she turned in the 'angry-young-Misaki' mode. Her feelings burst in words that were rude and a bit harsh. She couldn't control herself.

"Okay, you think you were really cool and sang very well? Well, let me tell you one thing, you. are. Imagining. this. I have met people like you, thinking they are the only ones that can open their mouth and sing like Elvis Presley. But seriously, YOU ARE THE WORST! You think you can win this? We'll see who will go back with that prestigious title and who will be standing in the crowd hiding their faces!"

"Hmm...Let's see, it will be very fun. Although it is very obvious."

"What?"

"The result"

"And the result is?"

"We'll win it." He smirked.

"Ha-ha... like I said, stop imagining things."

"I am not imagining, I am just telling the truth."

She laughed, stared at him for a few moments and suddenly said, "It's really funny you know. How we live inside these kinds of lies not knowing the truth. Just making things up."

Saying this she turned around and started to walk away.

"Takumi Usui", He suddenly said.

She turned her head and realized he was introducing himself.

He smirked again and said, "If we are doing this, at least we should get to know each other."

Misaki came closer to him and stared in his eyes, gave him a very mischievous grin and said softly "You don't need to know my name. Just know that you are going to lose and I'll be the one to beat you."

After saying this she turned and walked away.

Usui stood there for a while, looking at her walking away. He smiled and said to himself, "Hmm... this is going to be _very_ interesting."

Meanwhile, Misaki was looking for her team which was nowhere to be found. The auditorium was quiet large and she didn't know where to look. In the end, she just sat down in her seat and waited for them to come back.

-_Okay, I honestly didn't expect it would turn out like this. What the hell? Akira is gonna kill me when she hears about this. But seriously, now that I think of it, what had happened to me back then? I guess I just 'threw' my feelings out in the wrong way. Damn! This always happens with me but the truth doesn't change. I hate that idiot and I will beat him. He will lose. He will 'definitely' lose. I'll make sure of it. I have always learnt to win and this time too. I will!_

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**Okay, tell me how was it ? and I am thinking of writing the next chapter from Takumi's point of view. What do you guys suggest? Please tell me ! Don't forget to review! Your words are a motivation for me! **


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